BNP followers await new directives from Khaleda

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia may give new directives to her party followers from its national executive committee's daylong meeting to be held at Hotel Le Meridian in the city today (Saturday) as a court is set to deliver verdict on February 8 in a graft case filed against her, reports UNB.

"Our chairperson will come up with necessary directives to our party men on the current political situation, our party's future course of action, the general election and some other important issues," BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told the news agency on Friday.

However, party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan central office on Friday alleged that the government is creating various obstacles and arresting their party's executive committee members so that they 'cannot successfully hold' their meeting.

He said the meeting is scheduled to begin around 10am with their party Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the chair.

Rizvi said they have almost completed all the necessary preparations for holding the meeting. "We've already distributed identity cards among the invited leaders and registration will begin 8am on Saturday."

Party insiders said around 700 leaders, including standing committee members, executive committee members, and vice-chairmen, chairperson's advisers and presidents and secretaries of the party's different associate bodies, have been invited to the meeting.

There will be two sessions at the meeting. The executive committee members will talk in the first session while the senior leaders and Khaleda will give them necessary directions at the concluding session.

At the first session, the executive committee members will give their opinions about the party's next course of action and face the emerging situation if the court verdict goes against their chairperson.

In her speech at the concluding session, the BNP chief will give her party leaders necessary directives to remain united under any circumstances and carry out the movement peacefully as well as take preparations for the next election, even if she is convicted.

Khaleda is also expected to unveil plans before the party leaders how the party will be run in her absence and how the party will prepare for the next general election.

A BNP leader close to Khaleda said the BNP chief will caution the party followers to remain aware so that no rift can be created in the party in her absence what was seen during the 1/11 political changeover in 2007.

BNP formed its 502-member national executive committee on August 6, 2016 over four and a half months after its national council held on March 19.

As per the party's constitution, the meeting of the executive committee should be held after every six months, but it could not hold any meeting over the last one and a half years.